We are a Baha'i family, born & raised in Egypt. We love to share our thoughts and views on a few topics based on Baha'i principles, such as family life, education, human rights and the environment.
Friday, February 27, 2009
تعقيباً على تقرير الخارجية الأمريكية حول حالة حقوق الإنسان فى مصر
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Fasting - Baha'i point of view
Its duration is 19 days; from Mar 2nd till Mar 20th
Fasting is not physical only, no food or drinks, but fundamentally spiritual...
"It is essentially a period of meditation and prayer, of spiritual recuperation, during which the believer must strive to make the necessary readjustments in his inner life, and to refresh and reinvigorate the spiritual forces latent in his soul. Its significance and purpose, therefore are fundamentally spiritual in character." Shoghi Effendi
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Importance of Work
O people of Baha! It is incumbent upon each oneof you to engage in some occupation -- such as a craft, atrade or the like. We have exalted your engagement insuch work to the rank of worship of the one true God.Reflect, O people, on the grace and blessings of yourLord, and yield Him thanks at eventide and dawn.Waste not your hours in idleness and sloth, but occupyyourselves with what will profit you and others. Thushath it been decreed in this Tablet from whose horizonhath shone the day-star of wisdom and utterance. Themost despised of men in the sight of God are they whosit and beg. Hold ye fast unto the cord of means andplace your trust in God, the Provider of all means. (Baha'u'llah, The Kitab-i-Aqdas)
According to the Supreme Court of Canada;
"Work is one of the most fundamental aspects in a person's life, providing the individual with a means of financial support and, as importantly, a contributory role in society. A person's employment is an essential component of his or her sense of identity, self-worth and emotional well-being."
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Victory In Court For Egyptian Baha'i
The Court of Administrative Justice in Cairo has rejected a motion by the Egyptian Ministry of Defense (MoD) that sought to suspend the implementation of an earlier decision issued in favor of a Baha'i college student allowing him to continue his studies, the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights said in a statement.
This is a brief history of the case:
- Due to a decision in 2004, the Interior Ministry only issues a new ID card and other identification papers to people belonging to one of the three recognized religions: Islam, Christianity and Judaism.
- 2006 Suez Canal's College of Physical Education suspended the student since the Ministry of Defence insisted that they could not grant him the deferment card unless he first presented a new, computerized identity card.
- 2007 ruling made ordering the MoD to issue the student, Nayer Nabil Al-Hamamsi, his military deferment card even though he did not have a national identity card.
Monday, February 23, 2009
خبر سعيد من باب التغيير
حقائق بهائية
في أيّ قطر يقيمون، يجهد البهائيّون في الترويج لخير ورفاه المجتمع. وهم مدعوّون لأن يعملوا جنبًا إلى جنب مع أهل بلدهم في رعاية وتعزيز الألفة والاتّحاد وتأسيس السلام والعدالة. ويسعون إلى الحفاظ على حقوقهم وحقوق الآخرين، من خلال أيّة وسائل قانونيّة متاحة لهم. وملتزمون بالأمانة والصّدق في جميع الأحيان. إنّهم ينبذون النّزاع والخصام، ويتجنّبون الصّراع على السّلطة الدنيويّة.
من أحد المبادئ الأساسيّة للدين البهائي هو امتناع أتباعه كليًّا من الانخراط في أيّة نشاطات سّياسيّة حزبيّة سواء كانت محليّة، أو وطنيّة أو دوليّة. إنّ البهائيّين يعتبرون الحكومة نظامًا يهدف إلى تأمين رخاء وتّقدّم المجتمع الإنساني على نحو منظّم. وإطاعة القوانين المدنيّة هي سمة مميّزة لمعتقداتهم.
إنّ الإقدام على أيّ عمل يُمكن اعتباره خيانة للوطن محرَّم تحريمًا صريحًا في الآثار المقدّسة للدّين البهائي. وإنّ تمسّك البهائيّين في كلّ أنحاء العالم بهذا المبدأ لهو شاهد كبير على ذلك.
يقع المركز البهائي العالمي ضمن حدود دولة إسرائيل الحاليّة نتيجة النّفي المتعاقب الذي فُرض على حضرة بهاءالله في منتصف القرن التّاسع عشر من قِبَل الحكومتين الإيرانيّة والعثمانيّة. ومنفيًّا من إيران وطنه الأصلي، أُرسل حضرة بهاءالله إلى بغداد، ثم إلى اسطنبول فأدرنة، وأخيرًا وفي عام 1868 إلى المدينة المحصّنة عكّا، قبل 80 سنة من تأسيس دولة إسرائيل، حيث صعد هناك عام 1892. وإنّ اتّصال البهائيّين في كافة أنحاء العالم اليوم بالمركز العالمي لدينهم فيما يتعلّق بشؤونهم الفرديّة والجماعيّة هو أمر طبيعي جدًّا وحقيقة معروفة تمامًا.
يُكنّ البهائيّون درجة عالية من الاحترام لكافة الأديان. فقد أشارت الكتابات المقدّسة البهائيّة إلى الإسلام ﺒأنّها ِ"الشّريعة المباركة الغرّاء"، وإلى الرّسول الكريم محمّد عليه صلّى الله عليه وسلّم ﺒأنّه "السّراج الوهّاج للنّبوّة الكبرى" و"سيّد الكائنات" و"نيّر الآفاق" الذي "أشرق من أفق الحجاز بالإرادة الإلهيّة". ووُصف مقام الإمام علي كرّم الله وجهه بأوصاف من قبيل "البدر المنير لأفلاك العلم والمعرفة" و "سلطان عرصة العلم والحكمة". وفي لوح زيارة سيّد الشّهداء عليه السلام الذي نزل من يراع حضرة بهاءالله نفسه يشير إليه ﺒِ"فخر الشّهداء" و"نيّر الانقطاع من أفق سماء الإبداع".
... أيّ نفاق هذا إذا قامت طفلة في المدرسة، بعد سماعها ألفاظًا مهينة عن مؤسّس دينها الذي تحبّه للغاية، برفع يدها بكلّ أدب طالبة الإذن لتشرح لزميلاتها في الصّف بعضًا من التّعاليم التي تتّبعها؟ أي خداع هذا عندما يسعى شاب ملتزم وتوّاق إلى تحصيل العلم والمعرفة ليطالب بحقّه من السّلطات ليلتحق بالجامعة دون أن يكون عليه أن يكذب بخصوص بدينه؟ أيّ ضرر يقع إذا اجتمعت عدّة عائلات مع بعضها بين الحين والآخر للدعاء ومناقشة أمور تهمّهم؟ معتبرين أنّ روح الإنسان ليس لها جنس، هل يبعث على القلق الشّديد إذا عبّر شخص عن رأيه بأنّ الرّجال والنّساء متساوون في نظر الله وعليهم أن يعملوا جنبًا إلى جنب في جميع ميادين المساعي الإنسانيّة؟ هل من غير المعقول قيام مجموعة صغيرة من النّاس، في غياب الهيكل الإداري المنصوص عليه في تعاليمهم، بتيسير إجراءات زواج شابين، وتربية الأطفال، ودفن الموتى طبقًا لأصول أحكام دينهم؟
Sunday, February 22, 2009
Quran and Iqan
.......And likewise, He saith: “Say, O people of the Book! do ye not disavow us only because we believe in God and in what He hath sent down to us, and in what He hath sent down aforetime, and because most of you are doers of ill?” Qur’án 5:62. How explicitly doth this verse reveal Our purpose, and how clearly doth it demonstrate the truth of the testimony of the verses of God! This verse was revealed at a time when Islám was assailed by the infidels, and its followers were accused of misbelief, when the Companions of Muḥammad were denounced as repudiators of God and as followers of a lying sorcerer. In its early days, when Islám was still to outward seeming devoid of authority and power, the friends of the Prophet, who had turned their face toward God, wherever they went, were harassed, persecuted, stoned and vilified. At such a time this blessed verse was sent down from the heaven of divine Revelation. It revealed an irrefutable evidence, and brought the light of an unfailing guidance. It instructed the companions of Muḥammad to declare the following unto the infidels and idolators: “Ye oppress and persecute us, and yet, what else have we done except that we have believed in God and in the verses sent down unto us through the tongue of Muḥammad, and in those which descended upon the Prophets of old?” By this is meant that their only guilt was to have recognized that the new and wondrous verses of God, which had descended upon Muḥammad, as well as those which had been revealed unto the Prophets of old, were all of God, and to have acknowledged and embraced their truth. This is the testimony which the divine King hath taught His servants......
"Yea, the blind can perceive naught from the Sun except it's heat, and the arid soil hath no share of the Showers of Mercy"
Saturday, February 21, 2009
التعصبات الدينية تحول دون تأسيس مجتمع متقدم ومزدهر
Friday, February 20, 2009
Practicing therapeutic touch in Egypt in summer of 2008
Being Egyptian and having lived in Cairo most of my life I was more than aware of the extreme conditions that cause enormous stress in people’s lives. Our citizens were left to live in an environment that is physically, emotionally and spiritually draining.
I felt drawn to somehow help relieve the pressures in the lives of those good, strong people so I discussed with my mother the possibility of holding a ‘Spiritual Healing Devotion’ evening twice a week in her home. She opened her door with loving arms and I began to invite people. It was an immediate success. I invited neighbors, friends, friends of friends and human rights groups. The guests were a diverse group from all ages, religions and social status. The common thread between all of them was their desire for something other than their daily struggles.
I began by welcoming and praising everyone for their willingness to participate and swiftly moved on to begin talking about energy. What is energy? Are they aware of it in their bodies and their lives? Do they know how it affects their relationships and everyday happenings? After discussing this I went on to prove the existence of energy by having the group sit in a unity circle and place their hands, without touching, above their neighbors and more…. From this they began to understand how, once their spiritual part is uplifted and aware of their positive energy they will achieve positive thinking.
From this higher level of energy within the room I went on to explain how we can send each other colors. This peaceful energy that was being experienced combined with the relaxing atmosphere that I had created with candles and soft music enveloped the guests to a relaxed state and enabled them to move freely into a ten to fifteen minute meditation.
After the meditation I invited whoever wished to contribute to read from their holy writings. Each session I would choose a theme to discuss and the participants spoke freely and with ease. After this devotion period we would break for refreshments and social time. It was during this time I chose to practice therapeutic touch. As the other guests were mingling, discussing the previous activities I was able to have one on one with the individual in a quiet corner.
I began by cleanse them of all negative energy, Then I would attempting to balance all parts of their lives, and then I would ground them. This process was then repeated two to three times until all negativity was released.
The result was truly beautiful and without fail every person would open up their hearts and release their tears. Emotion flowing freely they felt a sense of self that had not been experienced before. This escape away from mind, away from relationships, worries, stresses and fears felt like a new beginning.
Unanimously people wanted to return, so with the generosity of my mother opening her house so freely I decided to offer therapeutic touch for no charge twice weekly. Without fail every session was a full house of between 15-25 people.
One of my goals is to be able to offer the beautiful people of Egypt new hope in themselves, to help them to find strength to overcome their difficulties, to be an instrument for them to renew their faith was far more than I could ever have dreamed of yet, it became reality. Through my knowledge of therapeutic touch I was able to leave a lasting impression in many people’s lives. I feel truly blessed to be able to offer this and it is my mission to continue this work to the best of my ability to not only the people of Egypt, but of the world.
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Importance of Daily Prayer
- Prayer is a conversation with God, Prayer serves to bring us nearer to God
- Profit Muhammed has said that prayer is like a ladder suspended between heaven an earth by which we ca ascend to paradise
- Baha'u'llah has revealed: "I beseech Thee...to make of my prayer a fire that will burn away the veils which have shut me out from Thy beauty, and a light that will lead me unto the ocean of Thy Presence"
- "There is nothing sweeter in the world of existence than prayer.........It creates spirituality, creates mindfulness and celestial feelings, begets new attractions of the Kingdom and engenders the susceptibilities of the higher intelligence." Abdu'l-Baha
Our understanding on how we pray and purpose of prayer was changed completely.....
يجب أن نتذكر دوما أن الصلاة فى أوج صفائها تقربنا من الله سبحانه وتساعدنا على الورود في ساحة قدسه.....قال سيدنا محمد (صلعم) "الصلاة معراج المؤمن به يصعد إلى السماء .......يقول حضرة عبدالبهاء ...الدعاء هو مخاطبة الله, ولا يوجد حالة أعظم أو أحلى من مخاطبة الله, إذ إنها تبعث الروحانيات, وتثير اليقظة والأحساسات الملكوتية, وتجذب تأييدات الملكوت, وتولد قابلية أكبر للفهم والأدراك" مترجم
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Please God Heal our sick friends - يارب أشفي كل مريض
of Thee is my remedy. Nearness to Thee is my hope,
and love for Thee is my companion. Thy mercy
to me is my healing and my succor in both this
world and the world to come. Thou, verily,
art the All-Bountiful, the All-Knowing,
the All-Wise.''
Bahá'u'lláh
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Iranian Baha'is CNN
Well, long story short, it's an independent world religion that began in the mid-1800s in Iran.
Baha'is believe that there is only one God and therefore only one religion.
All of the world's divine teachers (Jesus, Muhammad, Buddha, Moses, Abraham, Krishna, etc.) bring essentially the same message -- one of unity, love and knowledge of God or the divine.
This constantly updated faith of God, Baha'is believe, has been refreshed for this day and age by our founder, Baha'u'llah. There. Nutshell version.
Why write about all this now? Well, I'm glad you asked. You see there's a 'trial' going on very soon for seven Baha'i national leaders in Iran.
They've been accused of all manner of things including being "spies for Israel," "insulting religious sanctities" and "propaganda against the Islamic Republic."
They've been held for a year in Evin Prison in Tehran without any access to their lawyer (the Nobel Laureate Shirin Ebadi) and with zero evidence of any of these charges.
Sunday, February 15, 2009
"We will no longer be silent when injustice is visited upon you,"
In response, the Baha'i International Community told the signatories thatthe letter "brought a degree of solace and relief to the pain that yourBaha'i fellow citizens endure." "On their behalf and that of the Baha'is throughout the world weconvey our profound gratitude and appreciation for a deed of such historicalmoment," the Baha'i message said, referring to the publication of theopen letter. The letter was particularly significant, said the Baha'i response, in thatit rejected the milieu of intimidation created by Iranian authorities throughout
the decades that served to silence "those fair-minded and informed
individuals who had always wished to rise up" in support of the
Baha'is.
The letter ended thus: "We stand by you in achieving all the rights
enshrined in the Universal Declaration of the Human Rights. Let us join hands in
replacing hatred and ignorance with love and tolerance."
Thursday, February 12, 2009
ليس الفتى من قال كان ابى .ولكن الفتى من قال هااناذا
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Learning through activities
board games, counting money, playing with dice, cooking (measuring), clock timer, learning to tell time, use toys to count or subtract, workbooks, count grocery items, conversions, navigate GPS, what can you buy for $5, allowance, bank book/savings, cut pizza into fractions/quantity
Different ways to teach our children SOCIAL SKILLS:
play act situations that use a variety of social skills, talking on the phone, dress up, act out stories, picnic with friends and family, sports, hand shakes, welcome people, say bye, assign a role when guest come over, play dates, lots of exposure to social settings – on transit, in mall
Different ways to teach our children PHYSICAL ACTIVITY:
mime/exaggerate movement indoors with a variety of sports, keep score, discuss rules, strategy, show and tell, hiking (nature walks), volunteer for sports, clean up park 9service for community), biking, skiing, gardening
Different way to teach our children CREATIVITY:
paints, crayons, play dough, paper box building, Lego blocks, snow man building, arts and crafts , , role playing, dance and play, incorporate all of the above into everyday situations-whenever , they need something or want to do something, turn into creative problem solving
Different way to teach our children READING:
grocery shopping, labels, food prep, restaurant menus, street signs, instructions, name tags on , presents, email/Christmas cards and letters, chapter books, recipes, logos, sounding out , letters/blends, chalkboard/sand box, flashcards, printing/writing, audio books, magnetic letters on fridge
Different way to teach our children PROBLEM SOLVING
brainstorm, puzzles, what if? accidents, earthquake, fire (indoor and outdoor situations), reading comprehension, playing games, ask questions to open their thinking and observation skills when , asking for your help-ask them what they think would be possible…how, what etc…
Monday, February 9, 2009
Baha'is were never engaged in espionage for Israel
"Why the govenmnt not allowing Mrs. Ebadi to defend them and have access to their files??
The prosecution of the Friends in Iran is just one step in a 30-year-long systematic campaign orchestrated by the government to eliminate the Bahá'í community as a viable entity in Iran, the birthplace of the Bahá'í Faith. It is a fundamental principle of the Bahá'í Faith that its followers strictly refrain from involvement in any partisan political activity, whether local, national, or international. Bahá'ís view government as a system for maintaining the welfare and orderly progress of human society. Bahá'ís reject violence. They are peace-loving, constructive citizens who have no interest in assuming power...."
Friday, February 6, 2009
“They don’t want to leave a trace of anything Baha’i”
http://blog.macleans.ca/2009/02/03/%E2%80%9Cthey-don%E2%80%99t-want-to-leave-a-trace-of-anything-baha%E2%80%99i%E2%80%9D/
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
The top five cancer-causing foods are:
The top five cancer-causing foods are:
1. Hot dogs Because they are high in nitrates, the Cancer Prevention Coalition advises that children eat no more than 12 hot dogs a month. If you can't live without hot dogs, buy those made without sodium nitrate.
2. Processed meats and bacon Also high in the same sodium nitrates found in hot dogs, bacon, and other processed meats raise the risk of heart disease. The saturated fat in bacon also contributes to cancer.
3. Doughnuts Doughnuts are cancer-causing double trouble. First, they are made with white flour, sugar, and hydrogenated oils, then fried at high temperatures. Doughnuts, says Adams , may be the worst food you can possibly eat to raise your risk of cancer.
4. French fries Like doughnuts, French fries are made with hydrogenated oils and then fried at high temperatures. They also contain cancer- causing acryl amides which occur during the frying process. They should be called cancer fries, not French fries, said Adams .
5. Chips, crackers, and cookies All are usually made with white flour and sugar. Even the ones whose labels claim to be free of trans-fats generally contain small amounts of trans-fats.
BRAIN DAMAGING HABITS
1. No Breakfast People who do not take breakfast are going to have a lower blood sugar level. This leads to an insufficient supply of nutrients to the brain causing brain degeneration.
2. Overeating It causes hardening of the brain arteries, leading to a decrease in mental power.
3. Smoking It causes multiple brain shrinkage and may lead to Alzheimer disease.
4. High Sugar consumption Too much sugar will interrupt the absorption of proteins and nutrients causing malnutrition and may interfere with brain development.
5. Air Pollution The brain is the largest oxygen consumer in our body. Inhaling polluted air decreases the supply of oxygen to the brain, bringing about a decrease in brain efficiency.
6. Sleep Deprivation Sleep allows our brain to rest. Long term deprivation from sleep will accelerate the death of brain cells.
7. Head covered while sleeping Sleeping with the head covered increases the concentration of carbon dioxide and decrease concentration of oxygen that may lead to brain damaging effects.
8. Working your brain during illness Working hard or studying with sickness may lead to a decrease in effectiveness of the brain as well as damage the brain.
9. Lacking in stimulating thoughts Thinking is the best way to train our brain, lacking in brain stimulation thoughts may cause brain shrinkage.
10. Talking Rarely Intellectual conversations will promote the efficiency of the brain
The main causes of liver damage are:
1. Sleeping too late and waking up too late are main cause.
2. Not urinating in the morning.
3. Too much eating.
4. Skipping breakfast.
5. Consuming too much medication.
6. Consuming too much preservatives, additives, food coloring, and artificial sweetener.
7. Consuming unhealthy cooking oil. As much as possible reduce cooking oil use when frying, which includes even the best cooking oils like olive oil. Do not consume fried foods when you are tired, except if the body is very fit.
8. Consuming raw (overly done) foods also add to the burden of liver. Veggies should be eaten raw or cooked 3-5 parts.
Monday, February 2, 2009
BBC - An Islamic History of Europe 1 of 12
http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=DRSEFMCqK7I&eurl=http://vladowsky.com/wp/2009/01/bbc-an-islamic-history-of-europe-1-of-12/
Civilization built through tolerance and dialogue